Please note:
The DPI will be retiring the DPI State-Certified Co-op Program at the end of 2025-26 school year. This means that DPI will no longer maintain the DPI State-Certified Co-op Programs: DPI Occupational, Employability Skills, and Youth Leadership. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, DPI will continue to post a simplified version of the Co-op Program Guide as a resource for local use. Direct communication has been made with the LEAs that have participated in the program within the last year. More information is available here.
Definition: State Co-op Education Skills Standards: DPI Employability Skills
A State Co-op Education Skills Standards: DPI Employability Skills program is a DPI-developed, competency-based program that builds students’ employability skills—such as work habits, attitude, and career planning. Schools work with employers to provide structured work-based learning experiences focused on career readiness.
Schools implementing a State Co-op Education Skills Standards: DPI Employability Skills program will follow the Wisconsin’s State-Certified Cooperative Education Implementation Guide and Credential User Guide Directions.
Required Program Elements
A State Co-op Education Skills Standards: DPI Employability Skills program is described in the course handbook as a work-based learning program. The following elements must be included in a WBL syllabus or guide that describes the program:
- School agrees to program assurances annually within the DPI State-Certified Credential application
- Student positions are paid
- The program is operated by the school in partnership with an employer
- 6 Criteria of WBL documented and universally offered to students
- Minimum required hours per school year: 90 hrs
- Real workplace environment
- Firsthand engagement with tasks
- Aligns with an academic content course
- Training agreement is in place
- Documented evaluation and supervision conducted by both the business and education partners
School districts that design WBL programs will need to meet the “6 Criteria of WBL” to report student participation. Use the chart below to document in a syllabus or guide how the school meets each criterion and universally offers the WBL program to students in grades 9-12.
| 6 Criteria Checklist | Guiding Question | School provides - 6 Criteria Documentation |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Minimum 90 hours |
How many work hours will the student be required to complete? How will the work hours be identified in the data? |
90 hours of work
|
| 2. Real workplace environment |
Describe the workplace setting. Course handbook description of the WBL program. |
Name of employer and description of Employability Skills course from Course Handbook |
| 3. Firsthand engagement with tasks | What are the employment tasks that the student will complete? | Job description |
| 4. Aligns with an academic content course | Name the academic content course that the student will be scheduled into during the same school year as the WBL program. | Name all aligned academic content course options for students. |
| 5. Training agreement is in place | Is there a training agreement between the school-student-employer in place? | |
| 6. Documented evaluation and supervision conducted by both the business and education partners | Is there an evaluation and supervision agreement in place that describes each partner's responsibilities? | DPI Employability Skills Certificate |
DPI Data Reporting
Work-based learning (WBL) programs must meet the 6 Criteria to be considered and reported in Wisconsin. Report cards, section 115.385 (1)(d)1.-5., Wis. Stat. and Perkins Accountability Reports, Perkins V legislation, are the two reports that utilize WBL participation counts. Each LEA that reports a WBL program should have a documented process on how the 6 Criteria are met and universally offered to high school students.
If a WBL program does not meet the definition or 6 criteria, it is not reportable to DPI and is a Career Based Learning Experience that needs further development to be reported for report cards and Perkins Accountability Reports. WBL programs are reported to DPI through the student information system and displayed in WISEdata Portal and WISEdash for District for 9-12th grade students, each reporting year.
State Co-op Education Skills Standards: DPI Employability Skills is reported to DPI through the student information system and displayed in WISEdata Portal and WISEdash for District. The WBL WISEdata Element webpage provides a data definition The "CTE and Career Education Data WISE Guide,” found at CTE Data Resources provides directions to report. Schools are also required to sign program assurances and report student completers within WISEhome>DPI State-Certified Credentials application.
For questions about this information, contact Jen Jackson (608) 266-2803, jennifer.jackson@dpi.wi.gov.
For questions about data reporting requirements, contact Jessie Sloan (608) 266-1649, jessica.sloan@dpi.wi.gov.